Hip

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT HIP - PAGE 5

June 16, 1995 | by Francesca Chapman, Daily News Staff Writer The New York Post, USA Today, New York Daily News and Daily News wire services contributed to this report

Poor Whitney Houston. It pains us to rely on bad-movie metaphors, but we think she really does need some Kevin Costner/"Bodyguard" type to whisk her away from all of this. This being her latest crisis: Steven J. Marriott, a Long Island man who's been dogging the singer. This week, Houston got a temporary restraining order against Marriott from a New Jersey judge, saying she fears for her safety. This guy's angle: He thinks he's Houston's brother. He's been phoning Houston's management office and sending flowers.

Don't let the title fool you: The Wizard of Hip (or When in Doubt Slam Dunk) is an extraordinarily intellectual piece of theater, a whirlwind celebration of language and culture leavened by the occasional (purposely) bad joke. And lots of good ones as well. At the center of the wizardry is Thomas W. Jones 2d, author and sole performer in this autobiographical showcase, which first played here two years ago. It may be pushing the point to call Jones a black Robin Williams, but it will give you some idea of the manic energy and vocal dexterity he brings to this enterprise.

REIGNING NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw was examined Tuesday by a hip specialist who said the Los Angeles lefthander can continue to pitch without risking damage to his sore right hip - but the Dodgers want to keep him sidelined if the pain persists. The team said Kershaw would restart a throwing program Tuesday, when the Dodgers' scheduled game at the Washington Nationals was postponed by rain. The teams will play two games on Wednesday, beginning at 4 p.m. Asked whether Kershaw will pitch again this season, manager Don Mattingly replied: "Yeah, maybe.

The Flyers must hold their breath a little longer to learn about the immediate future of injured goalie Antero Niittymaki. He either will be available to start the season or he'll have surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip, which would likely cost him the first two months. Niittymaki, who cut his practice short Tuesday when his hip flared up, was scheduled to be evaluated today in Nashville by orthopedic surgeon Thomas Byrd. After seeing the results of an MRI examination on Wednesday, Byrd told the Flyers that Niittymaki may be able to postpone surgery until after the season and instead play by strengthening the hip and receiving a series of cortisone injections.

The Baltimore Orioles are beginning to envision a season without Albert Belle, whose ailing right hip sidelined him for the third straight game yesterday. Belle received treatment for his arthritic hip yesterday morning but declared himself unable to play against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The limping slugger has yet to even attempt to slide this spring, and his injury is showing no sign of improvement. Orioles manager Mike Hargrove is preparing for the worst. "If it comes down to Albert can't play, we'll have people ready," Hargrove said.

CLEVELAND - With jellied legs and an aching hip, Jeremy Maclin again displayed Sunday why he is the Eagles' No. 1 receiver. Maclin led the team with seven catches, 96 yards and one IV. "He showed a lot of toughness," said veteran slot receiver Jason Avant, who holds a Ph.D. in the field of toughness. "It was huge, him coming back like that. " Maclin began the day feeling peaked. He never was quite right, he said. His day soon got worse. He left the 17-16 Eagles win for a play early in the second quarter after Browns defensive back Dmitri Patterson shoved him out of bounds.

Scott Eyre said yesterday that he was "more than 90 percent" sure he would retire at the end of this season. Eyre, 37, is a veteran of 13 major-league seasons and will be a free agent after this year. In 597 career games before last night, he was 26-30 with a 4.33 earned run average in 632 innings. All but 32 of his appearances were as a reliever. Eyre was 0-1 with a 2.84 ERA in 12 2/3 innings this year. "My wife is probably ready for me to be home," said Eyre, who has two sons, ages 8 and 10. "I've been playing for 13 years, and it's basically all she's ever known.

Allen Iverson can run, but he can't explode off his left leg. And until he can, he likely will remain on the sideline. That included last night against the Phoenix Suns, when Iverson - rehabilitating from a left hip pointer - was not available to the 76ers for the fifth time in the last six games. It might well include Monday night's home game against the Milwaukee Bucks, for which he is listed as "doubtful. " Iverson's injury includes a small tear in a muscle connecting to the pelvic area.

Miss Diana Ross sang at the Valley Forge Music Fair on Monday night, and she gave a good performance, a tasteful, quick-paced rehash of a career that has spanned four decades and several musical eras. We must call her Miss Ross because she is a diva. She is the best kind of diva, though, a person who expects to be treated like a superstar but who seems genuinely pleased when she is. Still, you couldn't help notice the lack of passion. Miss Ross seemed to be giving a performance that, while tasteful - there's that word again - did not involve a lot of effort.

Relax, fellas, there are no sweeping fashion commandments this season. While there are several strong spring trends, most notably layering, western and grunge, none of them are dictates meant to be embraced wholeheartedly. Rather, you need only update your wardrobe with the items that suit your personality or the image you are trying to project. As in women's wear, severely tailored clothes are now reserved for the office or very special occasions. Casual ease is the buzzword in menswear.